


Lady Alice

by methylviolet10b



Series: Sometimes Drabbles Evolve [3]
Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Humor, Drabble Collection, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-16
Updated: 2012-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-31 06:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A diary. A determined lady. A reluctant doctor. A duel of wits and fists, unfolding one drabble at a time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lady Alice

**Author's Note:**

> I've been posting five 100-word Holmesian drabbles for well over a year now. Most of the time the drabbles stand alone, but every so often a single drabble evolves into an entire series, which tells a longer story. This is one of those times. These drabbles are presented in the order of the story, NOT in the order in which they first appeared.
> 
> This drabble story includes words from the second prompt table on Watson's Woes, as well as five prompt words sent to me as part of the Help_Japan effort.

**17\. Heroic**

“My, my,” Holmes murmured as he turned the pages of Lady Alice’s diary. “She has kept quite the catalog of her past and potential victims and their…er, assets.”

“Oh?” I continued my search, listening with half an ear.

“Yes. One is merely ‘raven-haired, wealthy.’ Another lists all his attributes, and I do mean _all_. He checked briefly, then continued. “Here’s another: ‘Moderately successful professional. Kind and good-natured, loyal. Chiseled features, thick brown locks, heroic face, brilliant eyes, sun-bronzed skin…’”

“Good Lord. Which poor fellow do we need to warn?”

Holmes looked at me strangely. “My dear Watson, she means _you_.”

 

**26\. Plead**

“Absolutely not!”

“My dear Watson, I don’t understand you. It’s perfect!”

“No, Holmes!”

“Would you rather risk what might happen to an unknowing, unprepared victim?”

“Of course not, but there must be another way!”

“I cannot think of one. I would offer to do it myself, but I manifestly lack the, er, necessary appeal.”

“That’s ridiculous. You are far better suited. And I have seen you charm everyone from kings to scullery maids.”

“But you’re the one whose name appeared…”

“I said no! Plead, beg, even grovel, I shall not change my mind. I will not flirt with Lady Alice!”

 

**32\. Break**

Lady Alice’s interest in my friend was something of a surprise to me. My Watson’s innumerable charms have won many hearts over the years, but his finances are modest at best compared to Lady Alice’s prior targets, even after inheriting his uncle’s small estate a few months ago. I briefly wondered whether Lady Alice was misinformed as to the amount, or whether Watson’s natural attractions had temporarily overridden her usual greed.

Her interest in him was a welcome break in the case. Nonetheless, I felt rather uneasy as I watched her circle the ballroom, showing him off like a toy.

 

**28\. Hide**

I tugged nervously on one edge of my sleeve. I didn’t dare get out my pocketwatch. Not only would it give the lie to my charade, but I would probably break it with my anxious fidgeting.

“Is anything wrong?”

“No, no, of course not,” I said at once, and tried my best to smile. “I just…” I could feel my cheeks heating as I struggled to find words. “I just don’t like the fit of this jacket, I’m afraid.”

“But it suits you very well,” Lady Alice purred, eyeing me appreciatively. I struggled against the urge to run and hide.

 

**31\. Clutch**

I glanced around the ballroom again. My friend is a master of remaining unseen, but I could not help but worry.

A rustle of skirts brought my attention back to my companion. “It is a lovely party, although it is rather warm,” I said mendaciously. “May I fetch you a glass of champagne?”

“I am a little lightheaded,” Lady Alice murmured. “But I do not think champagne would help. Perhaps a turn around the garden?”

“My dear lady, I will be the envy of every man here,” I lied, and suppressed a shudder at her possessive clutch on my arm.

 

**44\. Stumble**

“Are you feeling better?” I asked. The garden was not well lit, and it was difficult to see Lady Alice’s expression.

“The air is refreshing, but I am a trifle tired.” She let go of my arm and sat down on a convenient bench.

A shove from behind caused me to stumble. Before I could recover, I found myself seized from both sides and forced down the darkest of the garden paths. A foul-smelling cloth stifled my cry of alarm. As I struggled against my two attackers, my ears were filled with the sound of Lady Alice’s light, mocking laughter.

 

**H_J 1: Red**

The two men had a firm grip on my arms, and one held a rag over my mouth, but they had not secured my feet. Using an old rugby move, I hooked an ankle around the leg of the man on my right. He stumbled, and in the ensuing confusion I wrenched myself free from his grip. I swung my fist into the stomach of the man on my left, putting all of my weight behind the blow. Red pain wracked my bad shoulder, but the man doubled over with a pained wheeze and lost his hold. I was free!

 

**H_J 2: Shadow**

I turned to flee. Unfortunately, the deep shadow of the garden hid the man I had tripped, and I stumbled over him. It was the barest misstep, but it cost me dearly. The man seized both of my legs, and it was my turn to tumble helplessly to the ground. Gravel bit into my hands and scraped my cheek. We wrestled on the ground, fighting for dominance. I cried out as one of his elbows landed in my eye. He shoved a hand against my mouth before I could shout again.

I bit his hand as hard as I could.

 

**H_J 3: Moonlight**

The man cursed and wrenched his hand away. I drew in a much-needed breath, but before I could cry out, the man’s hands locked around my throat and tightened brutally.

I heard my pulse thunder in my ears as I struggled against him, fighting now for not just freedom, but my very life. I thrashed my legs and clawed at his face with my hands, but nothing I did dislodged him.

“You fool!” Lady Alice’s voice came dimly to my ears. “Don’t kill him!”

The moonlight illuminated the man’s face, twisted in rage. My vision wavered and faded into darkness.

 

**H_J 4: Train**

Warmth. Darkness. A gentle rocking motion. These were the first sensations that intruded on my slowly returning consciousness. I blinked my eyes, trying to focus, but there was nothing to see. Confused, I tried to raise a hand to my aching head, only to realize two things: that my wrists were bound securely together, and that I was hemmed in on all sides, with barely any room to maneuver. I could not straighten my limbs, and a tight gag muffled my lips.

A familiar whistle sounded, answering one of the questions whirling through my mind: I was on a train.

 

**H_J 5: Cover**

I kept up my end of the conversation with an effort, doing my best to cover my uneasiness. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Lady Alice curtsey to the Honourable Leonard Grey at the end of their dance. Something in his adoring expression raised my hackles. I knew the naïve young man had been one of her potential targets, before she settled into her pursuit of Watson.

_Watson_.

I had seen him escort Lady Alice out into the garden. In the crowd of the ball, I had not seen either of them return. Where was my friend?  

 

**40\. Accuse**

“My dear sir, I have no idea what you mean to accuse me of, but I assure you that I am innocent of it.”

“Innocent is the last word I should use in your position, Lady Alice. I have proof of your utter lack of that quality in my keeping.”

“Hardly proof.”

“Damning enough. It is written in your own hand.”

“Undoubtedly a forgery.”

“Indisputably not.”

“Fiction, then. I’m very whimsical.”

“Your subjects won’t think so.”

“Damn you for your interference! It was none of your concern. What do you intend now?”

“That depends. _What have you done with Watson?"_  
  
 

**46\. Defeat**

“That is an interesting question, isn’t it?” Lady Alice regarded me with a faint smile on her face, those famous eyes gone cold and hard as ice. “You want to know what has become of your friend Dr. Watson. And yet you clearly chose to follow me here, rather than pursue his trail. I wonder why?” She lifted her chin. “But that is beside the point. I might have information that you want. And you most certainly have something that **_I_** want.”

I knew exactly what she meant. Had I allowed my assumptions and arrogance to drag me to defeat?

 

**47\. Fail**

“You seem very certain of yourself, Lady Alice, but I believe you have overplayed your hand,” I said glibly, doing my best to look calm as my mind raced. What had I done? Where had I gone wrong?

Looking back, I recognized the assumption that had caused my entire chain of logic to fail. I had assumed that Watson was her next target. I had never anticipated that he might be her _decoy_. A decoy and a distraction designed expressly for me.

It had worked to a degree, though crime had trumped companionship at the crisis. But at what cost?

 

**48\. Choke**

“I know exactly what cards I hold. And I am not an unreasonable woman. The Honourable Leonard Grey wants me to elope with him. I want to do so without any interference from you. And you want to know your friend’s whereabouts.” Lady Alice smiled without any warmth. “We can all have what we want, Mr. Holmes.”

I shook my head. “I cannot leave Grey to your nonexistent mercies.”

“What do you care for him? Why didn’t you follow after your friend as I intended…?” She broke off abruptly, seeing something behind me that made her choke on her words.

 

**50\. Crawl**

Time slowed to a crawl as I took in my friend’s disheveled hair, rumpled, stained clothes, and swiftly-blackening eye. All pointed to some wild adventure, but there was nothing but calm certainty in his gaze as he looked at Lady Alice. “The answer is quite simple, my lady,” he told her. His voice was unusually rough, but there was a gentle twinkle in his eye as he glanced over at me. “Holmes followed you because he trusted that I could manage for myself.”

My throat tightened. “And as always, my dear Watson, my confidence in you has been fully justified.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted March 20, 2011


End file.
